Em-Bezel-ed: Phones with same screen size can have different dimensions. Here is why

When you want to buy a phone, the size is an important factor. It should be something you can easily grasp in one hand and even operate basic tasks like taking a call. So naturally, you start comparing sizes. However, if you thought comparing screen sizes was all you needed to do, you’re mistaken.

The screen size isn’t always indicative of the full size of the phone. Bezels—the four sides of the frame around the screen—are usually not accounted for and can make a big difference in the size of the phone you get, even if the screen size is the same.

For example, take the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and the HTC One Mini. All three of them have 4.3-inch screens. But the difference in length?

The HTC One Mini, although the same screen size as the S4 Mini, is 7.5 mm more in overall length. In case you were wondering, the math stands at:

2.5mm = 0.1 inch

The HTC One Mini’s length, of course, is bolstered by the front-facing stereo speakers it packs. But if you were to go by the “Mini” aspect of it alone and think that’s the best screen you can get in that size of phone, you’re mistaken. Here are three more phones around the same length but with different screen sizes:

And if you think this phenomenon is symptomatic of smaller screens, you’re mistaken. Take a look at some of last year’s flagship models:

Why overall length matters

With the above chart, it’s clear that if you were choosing between the HTC One and the LG G2, you’d get half an inch of extra screen space for an additional millimeter of overall length. Between the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, the latter has smaller bezels and yet makes better use of them by including physical and capacitive buttons on the bottom bezel—the Z1 Compact’s 4.3-inch screen loses further space because of the virtual on-screen buttons.

When you’re buying a phone, you want the largest possible touchscreen in it. So when you think a particular size is right for you, make sure you are looking at overall length and then judging the largest screen you can get in it—don’t just go by screen size.